Trail line moves

ABSTRACT

Trail line irrigation moves have split swivel couplers of which each has two identical halves rotatable on split bearing rings on an axle having seals thereon and coupled to pipe lengths by press-on or clamp-on connector portion. The axle has holes connecting the pipe lengths to the interior of the swivel halves, and the bottom half has a check valve drain and the top half has a cross connector with a sprinkler mounted on the top, a quick connect coupler cross-arms, a plug in one cross-arm and a trail line coupled to one cross arm. The trail line is connected by a quick connection coupler to a reversible skid shoe having a sprinkler riser and a drain plug.

Clements [451 Apr. 30, 1974 TRAIL LINE MOVES [75] Inventor: Lloyd W.Clements, Woodland,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Ireco Industries Inc., Eugene, Oreg.

[22] Filed: May 12, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 252,587

Gheen et al. 239/212 Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. AssistantExaminer-John J. Love Attorney, Agent, or FirmKlarquist, Campbell,Leigh, Hall & Whinston Sparkman,

[5 7] ABSTRACT Trailline irrigation moves have split swivel couplers ofwhich each has two identical halves rotatable on split bearing rings onan axle having seals thereon and coupled to pipe lengths by press-on orclamp-on connector portion. The axle has holes connecting the pipelengths to the interior of the swivel halves, and the bottom half has acheck valve drain and the top half has a cross connector with asprinkler mounted on the top, a quick connect coupler cross-arms, a plugin one cross-arm and a trail line coupled to one cross arm. The trailline is connected by a quick connection coupler to a reversible skidshoe having a sprinkler riser and a drain plug.

13 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 30 I924 SHEET 2 [If 5PA'TENTEDAPR 30 m4 3; 807,638

SHEEI 3 0F 5 PATENTED R 3 0 37 SHEET Q 0F 5 TRAIL LINE MOVES DESCRIPTIONproved swivel couplers for irrigation lines.

A further object of the invention is to provide swivel couplers havingradial-and-thrust bearings.

Another object of the invention is to provide trail line moves havingswivel couplers having sloping connectors to trail lines to maintainsprinklers on the connectors in vertical positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved quickconnectors.

Another object of the invention is to provide reversible shoes on traillines.

Another object of the invention is to provide swivels for couplers, eachswivel having identical halves.'

Another object of the invention is to provide a trail line move havingtrail line swivel couplers having press-on coupling portions attachableto line pipe lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trail line move havingtrail line swivel couplers connected to line pipe lengths by clamponconnectors.

In the drawings FlGfl is a fragmentary, perspective view of a trail linemove forming one embodiment of-the invention;

- FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded, perspective view of a swivel couplerand trail line of the move of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the coupler ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view of the swivel coupler;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of aspliced portion of a trail line;

FIG. 7 is an exploded, fragmentary, perspective view of a trail linemove forming an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partially sectional view of aportion of the trail line move of FIG. 8; and,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view taken along line 9--9 ofFIG. 8.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1-6 animproved trail line move forming one embodiment of the invention andincluding a wheeled power unit 10 (FIG. 1) which is located at thecenter of and'rotates an irrigation line 12 comprising a series of pipelengths l4 keyed to wheels 16 and connected to swivel couplings 18carrying crosses l9 supporting upright sprinklers 20 and coupled totrail lines 22 coupled to reversible shoes or skids 24 carrying uprightsprinklers 26. The end pipe length 14 is coupled by a rotary coupling toa hose 28 connected to a mainline pipe 30 having outlets 32 spacedappropriately therealong. The power unit 10, to move the line move,drives its wheels 34 and rotates the pipe lengths 14, which rotate thewheels 16. The swivel couplings 18 permit the pipe lengths to rotate andmove the trail lines 22 therewith.

Each swivel coupling 18 includes an axle or tube 40 (FIG. 3) havingpress-in connector portions 42 which are pressed into the pipe lengths14 to rigidly and keyingly connect the adjacent pipe lengths together.Thrust collars 44 are welded to the axle and the axle has four ports 46midway betwe'en the collars. Chevron type, rubber sealing rings 48sealingly engage the axle and fit into grooves 50 in identical swivelhalves 52 and 54, which are journalled on lubricant impregnatedpolyethylene split bearing rings 56. Each of the bearing rings iscontinuous except for one transverse split or slit 58 which permits thebearing ring to be flexed sufficiently to be passed over the collar 44for assembly of the bearing ring on the axle, the rings 50 beingsufficiently stretchable to be passed over the collars. Side sealinggaskets 61 of rubber impregnated asbestos seal the two halves 52 and 54and have edges'63 sealingly engaging the seals 48, the gaskets 61 beingprecisely positioned by dowel pins 65 which fit in holes 67 to make theedges 63 flush with the inner periphery of the halves. The dowels fitinto holes 69 in the opposite flanges of the adjacent coupling half toprecisely align the two halves 52 and 54. Flanges 51 of the halves arecrowned (as shown in somewhat exaggerated form in FIG. 2A) so as toexert pressure on the central portions of the gaskets substantially asgreat as at the bolts which clamp the flanges together. The crowning.between the bolt holes should be between about 0.005 and 0.009 of aninch for a spacing between centers of the bolt holes of about 3.875inches.

The halves 52 and 54 have tapped bosses 60, anormally open check valve62 being screwed into the boss in the half 54 and a close nipple 64being screwed into the boss 60 of the half 52.

Each cross 19 (FIG. '3) includes a vertical bore 69 having a tappedupper portion 70 and an aligned, tapped, lower portion 72'screwed ontothe close nipple 64, one of the sprinklers 20 (FIG. 1) being screwedinto the tapped upper portion 70. symmetrically located, identical,tubular cross-arms 74 and 76 (FIG. 5) slope downwardly from the bore 69each at an angle of about 15 to the horizontal. Chevron type seals 78 ofrubber or the like are inserted into and retained in annular grooves 80in the cross-arms. A press-in tubular coupler 82 is pressed into andrigidly secured thereby to trail line 22, which may be an aluminum pipe.The coupler 82 may be quickly attached and sealed to and detached fromeither cross-arm 74 or 76. The coupler 82 has a tapered nose portion 84and extends through the seal 78 in sealing engagement therewith. Akeying or splining bar 86 welded to the coupler 82 and a rubber bumpersleeve 88 bonded to the bar 86 is slid into a keying slot 90, and isretained therein by a split spring latching band 92 rotatable in groove94 and normally held against rotation by an inwardly bent, generally U-shaped detent portion 96, which projects into the slot 90. A plug 98having a tapered nose portion 100 is quickly insertable into andremovable from either arm 74 or 76, and has a keying bar 102 and rubberbumper sleeve 104 fitting into the keying slot'90. The plug normally isheld in sealing position in the arm 74 or 76 by the latching band 92.

The drain valve 62 (FIG. 3) includes a body 110 having a threaded endportion 112 screwed into tapped boss 60. The body has a counterbore 114and an annular land or valve seat 116 against which an elastomer,tapered valve member 118 is pressed into sealing engagement by operatingwater pressure when the line is supplied with water from the mainline 30(FIG. 1). When the water is cut off to the line 12 from the mainline 30,the water pressure drops and a spring 120 (FIG. 3) presses the valvemember 118 to an open position to permit the water to drain throughorifice 122 and through spider-like, rod-guiding portion 124 whichguides rose-like valve stem 126 and the water is spread by a dished,disc-like spreader 128. The member 118 is secured on the valve stem 126between washers 130 and 132 held on a reduced end portion 134 by acotter pin 136. A hexagonal driving portion 138 is provided on the body110.

The trail line 22 (FIG. 2) may have placed therein, when necessary forrepairs, a press-in repair sleeve 140 (FIG. 6) which comprises a tubularbody 142 having tapered ends 144 and pressed expandingly into cutapartsections of the trail line 22 to rigidly connect the sections. Stopmembers 146 prevent either end of the sleeve. 140 from being pressedover half way into one of the sections of the trail line.

Each shoe 24 (FIGS. 2 and 4) includes a hollow body 150 and adouble-ended skid or base 152 having upsloped end portions 154 and 156,and a central, suction preventing groove 158. The body has a vertical,tapped boss 160 into which sprinkler riser 162 (FIG. 2) is threaded, andalso has a bore 164 having a cylindrical surfaced end portion 166 and adrain port 168 closed by a mushroom valve 170 by water pressure when themainline is connected to the line move and open when the mainline isshut off from the'line move. A coupler 172, identical to the coupler 82,connects the trail line 22 to the interior of the shoe 24 which has aquick coupler structure like that of the cross-arms 74 and 76 andincluding a keying slot 174, a chevron-type seal 176 in a groove 178 anda split latching ring 180 in groove 182.

In its operation, with the water supply from the mainline pipe 30(FIG. 1) shut off from the move and the water drained from the move bythe check valve structures 62 and 170 of the rotary couplings l8 and theshoes 24, respectively, the power unit is operated to turn the wheels 34and to turn the pipe lengths 14 and the wheels 16 to move the line tothe next operating station. The assembly of pipe lengths 14 and theaxles 40 rigidly connected thereto at both sides of the power unit 10act as drive shafts or torque tubes to turn the wheels 16, which arepressed into and thereby keyed to tubular axle portions 184 of thewheels 16. The line move is quite long, one-quarter mile in a typicalconstruction, and the pipe lengths, which are typically aluminum, flexrotatably so that the ends of the line lag somewhat behind the centerportion of the line where the power unit 10 is located. In order to havethe sprinklers 20 and 26 along straight lines, it is desirable to havethe line straight when it is irrigating at which time the line move isstationary. To accomplish this at the end of each movement, the powerunit 10 is reversed until it comes even with the endmost wheels 16, andat least the trail lines 22 away from the ends of the move are slidbackwards or in reverse, the pipes of the trail lines being sufficientlystiff to slide the shoes 24 backward, the shoes having the reversibleskid portions 156 to facilitate this reverse. During both forward andreverse movement, the sprinklers 20 remain upright due to the slope ofthe cross-arms 74. After alignment, water is again supplied to the moveand the sprinklers 20 and 26.-

When the line move reaches an end of the field, the trail lines arereversed. This may be accomplished by disconnecting the trail lines 22from the cross-arms 74, moving the plugs 98 from the cross-arms 76 andinto the cross-arms 74, and then either swinging the trail lines to theother sideof the move and connecting the trail lines to the cross-arms76 or by moving the move in reverse over the trail lines, disconnectingthe shoes 24 from the trail lines, connecting the freed ends of thetrail lines to the cross-arm 76 and connecting the shoes 24 to the otherends of the trail lines. Water then may be reconnected to the move forsprinkling the end portion of the field, after which the move can bemoved back over the field.

EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 7-9

A line move forming an alternate embodiment of the invention and shownin FIGS. 7-9 is substantially identical to the line move of FIGS. 1-6except as brought out below. The move of FIGS. 7-9 includes pipe lengths214 connected by tubular torque couplers 21S to each other and to swivelcouplers 218 and to mover adapters 209 connected to a power unit (notshown) like the power unit 10. The'torque couplers include press-insleeves 221 and 223 rigidly connected to swivel coupler axles 240 andthe pipe lengths 214. The sleeves 221 and 223 have radial flanges 229provided with intermeshing ring gear-like teeth 225 and 226 and heldtogether by expansible, lockable, channel-like hold bands 227. Theswivel couplers 218 are identical with the couplers 18 except that theaxles are adapted to receive the press-in sleeves 221 and 223. Theflanges 229 have face grooves 231.holding cross-shaped rubber sealingrings 233 pressed into sealing engagement with each other. The swivelcouplings carry crosses 219, which are like the crosses 19, and carrysprinklers 220. The swivel couplings also pull (or push) trail lines 222like the trail lines 22.

What is claimed is:

1. In a line move,

a pipe having lateral ports,

a pair of annular seals on the pipe at opposite sides of the ports,

a pair of annular antifriction bearing members on the pipe at oppositesides of the ports,

a tubular swivel housing journalled on the bearing members and sealinglyengaging the annular seals and having an exit port,

the swivel housing having a first pair of internal grooves at the endsthereof receiving the annular bearing members and also having a secondpair of 4. The line move of claim 2 wherein the tubular housing islongitudinally split and has flanges adjacent the split.

5. The line move of claim 4 including a gasket between the flangesforming a smooth interior with the portions of the housing adjacent thesplit.

6. The line move of claim 1 including a pair of thrust members securedto the pipe and limiting axial movements of the bearing members alongthe pipe in directions away from the midpoint of the swivel housing,

the first pair of grooves limiting axial movements of the bearingmembers toward the midpoint of the swivel housing.

7. The line move of claim 6 wherein the bearing members are collarsfixed to the pipe,

the bearing members being split so that they can be expanded and passedover the collars.

8. The line move of claim 1 wherein the bearing members are lubricantimpregnated rings.

9. The line move of claim 6 wherein the bearing members are lubricantimpregnated rings.

10. In a line move,

a move line including rotatable horizontal pipe and means supporting thepipe in a position elevated above the ground,

means for moving the line laterally,

a swivel coupler sleeve on the pipe for receiving water from the pipeand having an exit port at the,

upper side thereof, a pipe connector secured to the coupler sleeve atthe exit port and having a vertical connection portion and also having adownwardly sloping connection portion,

a sprinkler skid on the ground,

a trail line connected to the skid and to the downwardly slopingconnection portion,

a first sprinkler connected to the vertical connection portion and heldupright thereby, and a second sprinkler connected to the sprinkler skid,

the trail line being somewhat flexible and extending along a catenarybetween the pipe connector and the ground, the downward slope of thedownwardly sloping connection portion being such as to maintain thefirst sprinkler vertical when the trail line is moved by the move line.

11. The line move of claim 11) wherein the sprinkler skid isdouble-ended so that it may be slidin either direction and the trailline being sufficiently stiff to push the skid in the reverse direction.

12. The line move of claim 10 wherein the downward slope of theforwardly sloping connection portion is about 15.

13. The line move of claim 10 wherein the pipe connection has a seconddownwardly sloping connection portion positioned from thefirst-mentioned downwardly sloping connection portion,

and plug means adapted to selectively plug either of the downwardlysloping connection portions.

1. In a line move, a pipe having lateral ports, a pair of annular sealson the pipe at opposite sides of the ports, a pair of annularantifriction bearing members on the pipe at opposite sides of the ports,a tubular swivel housing journalled on the bearing members and sealinglyengaging the annular seals and having an exit port, the swivel housinghaving a first pair of internal grooves at the ends thereof receivingthe annular bearing members and also having a second pair of internalgrooves receiving the annular seals, and sprinkler means on the swivelhousing.
 2. The line move of claim 1 including a pair of thrust memberssecured to the pipe and bracketing the bearing members, the bearingmembers being split so that they can be expanded and passed over thethrust members.
 3. The line move of claim 2 wherein the annular sealsare stretchable sufficiently to be passed over the thrust members. 4.The line move of claim 2 wherein the tubular housing is longitudinallysplit and has flanges adjacent the split.
 5. The line move of claim 4including a gasket between the flanges forming a smooth interior withthe portions of the housing adjacent the split.
 6. The line move ofclaim 1 including a pair of thrust members secured to the pipe andlimiting axial movements of the bearing members along the pipe indirections away from the midpoint of the swivel housing, the first pairof grooves limiting axial movements of the bearing members toward themidpoint of the swivel housing.
 7. The line move of claim 6 wherein thebearing members are collars fixed to the pipe, the bearing members beingsplit so that they can be expanded and passed over the collars.
 8. Theline move of claim 1 wherein the bearing members are lubricantimpregnated rings.
 9. The line move of claim 6 wherein the bearingmembers are lubricant impregnated rings.
 10. In a line move, a move lineincluding rotatable horizontal pipe and means supporting the pipe in aposition elevated above the ground, means for moving the line laterally,a swivel coupler sleeve on the pipe for receiving water from the pipeand having an exit port at the upper side thereof, a pipe connectorsecured to the coupler sleeve at the exit port and having a verticalconnection portion and also having a downwardly sloping connectionportion, a sprinkLer skid on the ground, a trail line connected to theskid and to the downwardly sloping connection portion, a first sprinklerconnected to the vertical connection portion and held upright thereby,and a second sprinkler connected to the sprinkler skid, the trail linebeing somewhat flexible and extending along a catenary between the pipeconnector and the ground, the downward slope of the downwardly slopingconnection portion being such as to maintain the first sprinklervertical when the trail line is moved by the move line.
 11. The linemove of claim 10 wherein the sprinkler skid is double-ended so that itmay be slid in either direction and the trail line being sufficientlystiff to push the skid in the reverse direction.
 12. The line move ofclaim 10 wherein the downward slope of the forwardly sloping connectionportion is about 15*.
 13. The line move of claim 10 wherein the pipeconnection has a second downwardly sloping connection portion positioned180* from the first-mentioned downwardly sloping connection portion, andplug means adapted to selectively plug either of the downwardly slopingconnection portions.